Apparatus for introducing paste into dry-cell cups



Jim. 26 1926.

H.135 OLANETA APPARATUS FOR m'rnon'ucme PASTE INTO rm 051.1. curs Filed June 9. i920 Jrwenfor Patented Jan. 26, 192.6.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD DE OLANETA, orNEw HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR To WINCHESTER REPEATING- ARMS COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING PASTE INTO DRY-CELL CUPS.

Application med June 9,

To all whomlit may concern;

Be it known that I, HAROLD on OLANETA, a citlzen of the United States, residing in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecti- 387,615, filedJunt; 9-, 1920,'I have described and claimed an improved method ofintroducing semi=liquid or pasty substances into cpntainers', The present invention has partieu ar'reference to the apparatus disclosed in that application. which is of peculiar advantage in the manufacture of dry cells of that kind in' which a zinc cup contains a body of ether thick paste, into which. a depolarizing cartridge is squeezed in the assembling of the cell. the paste being initially located in the bottom of the cup, but being subsequently displaced'by, pressure to form a layersurrounding the cartridge at the side. The invenion provides improved apparatus for injecting an accurately measured quantity of. paste into the bottom of the cup, for

the purpose mentioned, but it is obviously notlimifed to this particular application. I (litre of the primary objects of the invennet is the provision of apparatus whereby the cup may be readily and expeditiously filled tothe required extent with thepaste or similar material.

Another object is to furnish a device whereby the operation may be carried out with cleanliness and neatness.

Anotherobject is to provide a filling device whereby an indication is obtained when the requi red amount of material has been V injected' nto the cup sothat the cup and filling nozzle may then be separated and another cup placed in position for filling.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. I

In. the accompanying drawing:

Fig.1 is a vertical central section of a dry cell, in the manufac'tureof Which my improved method anay be employed to advantage; p

Fig. 2 isa section,

on a smaller scale, of the z1nc cup In a companion application, Serial No.

1920. Serial No. 387,674.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views of the cup and a portion ofthe filling apparatus, showing different stages;

Fig. '5 is a section of the cup as it appears after having been partly filled with paste and removed from the nozzle of the filling apparatus;- and y I Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic sectional View on a small scale of the filling apparatus.

- In-the cell shown in Fig. 1-, 10 is the zinc cup containing .the customary carbon pencil 11, which carries a cartridge 12 of suitable depolarizing material. .This. cartridge is usually covered by a porous envelope l3 of cheesecloth or the like. Between the side surface of the cartridge and the side wall of cell may be placed initially in the paste, as.

set forth in my application Serial No. 378,- 458. In this case the paste will be made, for example, by mixing together wheat flour, or some. other cereal, with zinc chlorid solution (which serves tokeep the paste moist) and a mercuric compound, which acts as an amalgamator for the zinc. For instance, in making up a batch of paste for the manufacture of a number ofcells, I may mix together 12.5 kilograms of wheat flour, 50

litres of zinc chlorid solution at 27 Baum,

and 12.5 grams of mercuric chlorid. These ingredientsare mixed together until all of the flour is dissolved and the mass is stirred while being cooked until a stifi" paste is formed. The paste may obviously be made in other We. s so far as the present invention is concerne but as stated, it will preferably be a thick, precooked paste, because I find thatsuch a paste gives verygood results.

In assembling the cell a quantity of the paste is introduced into the bottom of the zinc cup 10, as shown in Fig. 5, and the cartridge 12,;carrying the carbon electrode 11, isfthensqueezed into the paste within the cup in' such amanneras to cause the paste to in Fig. 1, wherein it surrounds the cartridge at the side. The particular way in which be flowed into the location shown I this is done, however, is not material, as the present invention 18 espec1ally concerned with the means for transferring a measured quantity of paste from a large coninder, into which the paste is introduced in any suitable manner, and 16 is a plunger or follower, which is used for forcing the paste out of a discharge nozzle 17 into the battery cup. The body of paste being located in front of the plunger, the latter can be given a forward movement in the cylinder by any appropriate mechanism, w th whlch the present invention is not concerned, the result being that the paste is forced out of the nozzle 17 and into the cup which isplaced against the nozzle for filling. Fig. 6 does not show the detail construction of the nozzle, but Figs. 3 and 4 show in detail a form of nozzle which may be employed advantageously. In these views the forward extremity 18 of the pump cylinder is provided with a threaded socket 19, into which is screwed the reduced end 20 of a nozzle section 21. The main part of the nozzle section 21 is cylindrical, of a diameter only slightly less than the inside diameter of the cup of the dry cell. Between the main part of the nozzle section and the reduced extremity 20 is a portion 22 of intermediate size, having exterior screw threads 23 engaged by interior screw threads of an adjustable sleeve 24. The sleeve 24. has a body portion 2st of an interior diameter corresponding to the exterior diameter of the nozzle section 21 and said portion 24 is located at the front of the sleeve and slides on the rear portion of the smooth cylindrical part of the nozzle section 21. At its rear end the sleeve has a wall 24E with a perforation therethrough, said perforation being provided with threads to engage the threads 23. A screw 25 engaging a threaded lateral socket in the wall 24d of the sleeve permits the sleeve to be tightly held in place after being adjusted longitudinally with respect to the nozzle.

v The sleeve 24 serves as a stop to limit the extent to which the-zinc cup 10 may be thrust over the nozzle section 21. By making the sleeve adjustable lengthwise of the nozzle the amount of paste introduced into the cup ma'y be regulated, as hereinafter described. In order to adjust the sleeve the screw 25 is released and then the-sleeve is turned in one or the other dimotion in order to-inc-rease or decrease the distance between 'thefront edge of the sleeve and the front end of the nozzle, as maybe described. The front edge of the sleeve similar to that of sha serves as a stop for the cup, against which the mouth portion of the cup bears, the sleeve being of approximately the same diameter as the cup. For convenience in operation the exterior surface of the sleeve may be knurled, if desired, so that the sleeve may be turned by the fingers of the operator.

The front end portion of the nozzle section 21 is cylindrical in shape, preferably with a fiat forward face. then the cup is thrust over the nozzle, as shown in Fig. 3, the forward face of the nozzle defines the space in the cu) which is to be filled with paste. By ad ustment of the sleeve 2% the space to be filled may be increased or decreased, as will be obvious. It is important to note that while the nozzle section 21 almost fills the mouth portion of the cup and all that part lying in front of the space to be filled, it does not completely shut off the bottom part of the cup from the atmosphere. In order that the cup may be properly filled it is necessary that the bottom space be vented of air and this is provided for by my invention, inasmuch as an air space is left for venting of the air in the bottom portion of the cup as the paste is introduced. In the particular form shown the air vent is at the periphery of the nozzle section 21, the diameter of said nozzle section being so much. less than the interior diameter of the cup as to permit the air to pass out of the cup and prevent it from beingoccluded therein. On the other hand, however, the air venting space, which lies between the outer surface of the nozzle section and the inner surface of the cup wall, is not sufiiciently large to permit the outward passage of any appreciable amount of paste into this space from the bottom of the cup under a normal operating pressure.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The pump casing having been filled with paste in front of the plunger 16 and the :cup having been thrust over the nozzle section 21, as far as this is permitted by the adjustable stop 24;, pressure is exerted on the plunger for forcing the paste out of the nozzle into the bottom of the cup. The space which will be filled can be accurately determined by adjustment of the stop, as previously explained. The paste, as pre viously stated, is of a thick consistency, ving cream sold in collapsible tubes, and if no pressure is exerted on the plunger 16 the paste will not'be forced out of the nozzle. When pressure isexertedon the plunger, however, the paste is ejected from theend ofthe nozzle in a sort of mushroom formation, as shown in Fig. 3, and as the forcing action is continued the size of the mushroom head increases until the paste strikes the bottom of the cup. \Vhile this is going on the air in the bottom portion of the cup is forced out over the cylindrical outer surface of the nozzle in the venting space previously mentioned. There is, of course, leakage between the edge of the cup and the opposing surface of the stop sleeve and this leakage is sufficient to permit the venting of the cup, particularly if the cup is not held against the nozzle by the hand of the operator with any very great pressure. The mushroom head of paste be ing injected into the cup first strikes the bottom of the cup at the center and then spreads out radially over the bottom and the displacement of air for venting is therefore very direct, as the air is pushed radially and outward to the peripheral venting space between the outer surface of the nozzle and the inner surface of the cup. As the pressure on the plunger is continued the space between the front face of the nozzle and the bottom and side wall of the cup is completely filled.

At the time this space is completely filled an indication of that fact is given by the increased reaction pressure against the hand of the operator. The cup space to be filled is filled first'at the bottom and later at the top, remaining throughout the operation in communication with the venting space; but when the paste space is completely filled, increased pressure is caused by the fact that the vent opening is so small as to prevent any appreciable amount of paste from entcring the same. In the case illustrated, for

example, the vent passage around the outside of the nozzle being very narrow and the paste on the'other hand being quite thick, the result is that when the paste space in the bottom of the cup is completely filled the increased pressure caused by the resistance of the paste to passage through the venting space occasions an outward thrust on the cup, which indicates to the operator that the same has been filled to the required extent, and the cup is then removed from the nozzle and another cup placed thereon for filling. a

In the foregoing description it has been assumed that the paste pump, the axis of which is preferably horizontally disposed, is fixedly mounted, and that the cup is placed over the filling nozzle by the hand of the operator and then withdrawn after filling. It will be understood, however, that it is not necessary for the filling apparatus to be stationary and the cup movable, so far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned.

Various changes may be made in the details of the apparatus, as herein described, withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is: o

1. An apparatus for dispensing paste into dry cell cups comprising a container having a nozzle through which the paste is discharged, said nozzle being of sufiicient length to extend to the bottom portion of the cup and having a relatively small bore and an end surface of substantial area, the exterior diameter of which surface is substantially that of the interior diameter of the cup, whereby the paste discharged into the cup will be confined between the end face of the nozzle and the cup bottom, and means for limiting the insertion of thenozzle within the cup whereby a predetermined quantity ofpaste may be introduced therein.

2. Means for introducing a predetermined quantity of paste or the like into a dry cell cup, comprising a container having anapproximately cylindrical discharge nozzle provided with a flat end face of substantial area and a relatively small bore, the exterior diameter of said end face being substantially that of the interior diameter of the cup, adjustable means for limiting the insertion of the nozzle into the cup whereby the quantity of paste introduced into the cup may be measured by being confined between the bottom of the cup and the end surface of the nozzle, and means for forcing the paste from the container.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 7th day of une, 1920.

HAROLD DE OLANETA. 

